Draft-gear for railroad-cars.



C. T. WESTLAKE, DRAFT GEAR FOB RAILROAD CARS.

APPLICATION FILED we. 26, 1907.

Patented Sept 22, 1908.

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lie it known that !,tn.-;m.r:s 'l.\Vi-tsrr..tnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. lands. in the State of .dissouri. have invented a new and useful l1npro\'enu nt in Draft- (ienr for linihoml-(ars of whirh the following is a specification.

My i remion !(l:ll( part icularly to that class of diafhgear for a railroad car in which the springs arranged on each side of the longitudinal cen er of the car, with their follower-plates actuated by the draw-hat and \ol e. :o'e comhined directly with the had?- l ulster, and my intention has for its object to pr vide a compact, self-contain d draft- ;I rit Hi this type haringits parts volleetiVc-l) to tlz d \-l ulster or forward of the same to the n=iddie l ngitmlinal sills. draft-timbers. or other lixcd meml-cr or members of the car undeit'iame suits-Ed f r the purpose. and to be s-.=;f -centct ing.

The invention consists: in features of norelt as hereinafter descrited and claimed. referen e -l:ein; ;.h.-1d to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, hereon,

Figure l. is a vertical longitudinal section through my improved draft-gear as applied to a car bod yJxolster, seen in correspmuling cross'section, on line 1, 1, in Fig. .2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section through the hod \'-lmlster on line 2, 2, in Fig. l, and a top plan View of the draft-gear applied thereto; Figs. 3,:md 4, cross sections through the draft-gear on lines 3, 3, and 4, -11, respectively. in Fig. 1 Fig. 5, a top plan \ltW to reduced scale of the draftgear and its atiaclnnent to the car sills or draft-timbers forward of the bolster, and Fig. (i, a front view of the attachment, omit.- ting the draft-gear.

Like letters and numerals of reference dcnote like parts in all the figures.

My improved draftear consists of a metallic (pijefcrahlv cast steel) housing or box a, which may he of any suitable design, preferably open at the bottom, and having when assembled, its longitudinal center corresponding to that of the car.

Arranged longitudinally within the housing a between its front and rear walls 1. l, are preferably two springs 11, one on each side of and e uidistant from the said center, the springs haying a front. follower-plate c Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 26,

adapted to normally hear againstthe front,

RAILROAD-CARS.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

1907. Serial No. 390,171.

wall Land :1 rear f\.illm\"er-platt'- c", against the rea r wall 1' of the housing I. the said springs b and plates e,c',hein; straddled hya pocket- .-.trap or yoke 41, fixed at its fr e ends to the drew-bar 4' having a suitalle (oupler (not li tll of the usual constrtn-tion. and ndaptd to play longitudinally llil'UtlLfi'r the housing' I; of the housing n at their bottom edges as shoun, or in any other suitalle nmnner.

For appl \in the draft 'ea thus constttu-ted to a lnnly-bul aerjhf the "5" I form or provide the rear wall 1' of the housing a with prcferablr. two outwardly projecting horizontal and laterallyconverging arms or liracliets '5. one above the other at a suitable distance apart. the arms 7 being perforated vertically, preferahl) at their outer portions, and adapted thereat to not arounr a vert call arranged preferah y, cylindrical pin 8, which is renmrahlr inserted from above between the longitudinal sills of the car underframe through a corresponding hole in the top member 3) and adapted to hear at. its lower cnd in a corresponding socket or recess in the hottoiu member 10 of the holster f at its central portion, whereby the pin 8 whiletixed to the latter in the pulling and butting movements of the draft-gear. can he withdrawn therefrom vertically for disconnecting the pa'rts, the holsterf in the present case being preferably made of cast steel I-sha-ped in cross section, and the metal omitted from the middle portion of the web 11 of the l olsterffor the passage of the pin 8 and play of the arms 7. compensated for by a strengtheniug rib 12, which straddlesthe pin 8 between the arms 7 and unites the divided por-' tions or the web 11 thercat as shown. 01' the divided web 11 may be united or reinforced in any other suitable manner.

Projectim to an equal distance from the web 11 of the holster f on its front side, are two lugs' 13, which are arranged at the same. distance apart, or thereahout, as tho sprin s i) and in the samelmrizontal plane therewit the outer end of each lug 13 being adapted to pass through an opening 14 therefor in the rear with 1 of the. housing a end to hear a ainst the ohter face of the rear followerpiste c opposite to the end of the correspond mg spring b against its inner face, in the normal central position of the drawbar e, whereby, when the draw-bar e is constrained to one side, on the. ear rounding a curve, the spring I) on the concave side of the curve will be compressed by the pressure of the corresondin lug 13 against the rear followerp ate 0' hereat in excess of the other sprin b, the rear follower-plate c' at the same time eing inclined relatively to the front followerplate r, and on the removal of the constrain mg stress the tension of the springs ill become equalized and the draw-bar a returned to its normal position, or sell-centered.

In the above construction of draft-gear,

by inelosing the springs and follower-plates with the cket-strap attached to the draw bar, \vltlun a housing or box removably pivoted, but otherwise unfastened to, and free from the ear underframe, should either of the parts become broken, the entire draft-gear can be readily removed and a duplicate set with the parts already assembled substituted therefor, hora-by the delayof disconnecting the parts from each other in case of emergency is avoided.

Figs. 5 and 6, show the application of my improved draft-gear to the ear underframe forward of the body-bolster, in which case the housing or box ais pivoted to a pin 15, inserted vertically through the top and bottom members of a hollow block g, which extends between, and is fixed laterally to the middle longitudinal sills (or draft-timbers) 16, by bolts 17, or otherwise, the lugs 13 [or engaging the .rear follower-plate c, and which are similar to the lugs 13 before described, pro'eeting from the inside faces of the side we s.of toe block g. Or the block 9 may be otherwise configured and adapted to form a ivot and means ,for engaging the rear folowerlate of the draft-gear as found most suitabe in practice accordin to the construction of the underframe so which the draftear is applied.

What I claim as-m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is:

1. In draft-gear of the class described, the combination with a car underframe, of a sprin member, a front, follower-plate and a rear ollower-plate for the said member, a draw-bar, a yoke fixed to the draw-bar and straddling the said plates, a suitable housing adapted to contain the said member and plates and for the play of the yoke longitudinally therethrough, the said housing being pivoted rearwardly, but otherwise unattached to the said frame, and movable radially about its pivotal point in a horizontal plane, and means for inclining the rear follower-plate relatively to the front followerplate upon the swinging ot" the draw-bar, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In drsft-gear of the described, the combination with a car underI-ranze, of two s ings arranged longitudinally, one on each side. of the longitudinal center of the car, a front followerlate and a rear followerlste for the said springs, a draw-bar, a yoke iixed to the draw-bar and straddling the said plates, a suitable housing adapted to contain the said spring; and plates, and for the play of the yoke longitudinally thererhrouglr, ow a pin removably fixed to the said frame, the said housing being rearwardly oivoted, but otherwise unattached to the said frame, and

movable radially about the said pin in a horizontal plane, and means for inehnl the rear followerplate relatively to the Bui t follower-plate u ion the swinging of the drawbar. substantially as described and {or the purpose set orth.

3. In draft-gear of the rlass described, the combination with a ear-liody-lmlster, of two springs arran ed longitudiiniily, one on each side of the on itiulinal center of the car, a front follower-plate and a rear fuller-erlate for the said springs, a draw-bar, a yoke iixed to the draw-bar and straddling the said plates, 8. suitable housing adapted to contain the said s ,rings and lates, and for the ,lay of the yo e longitu inally therethroug 1, a pin removably fixedin the bc lyholster, an arm projecting rearwardly from the housing and perforated for the passage of the said \in therethrou h, the said housing and arm 0- ing movable radially about the said pin in a horizontal plane, but otherwise unattached to the car, and a lug rejecting from the body-bolster at each side of the said center and adapted to hear at its free end against the rear follower-plate in the normal'eentral osition of the draw-bar, and upon the swinging of the draw-bar to inc-line the rear follower- )late relatively to the trout follo'..erplate or compressing one of the said sp ings in excess of the other spring, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this sper-iliration in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES 'l. WESTLAKE.

Witnesses:

t). '1. Lnoroun, Enwsno W. Freeman.

ill) 

